Scan barcode
marissacanread's review against another edition
3.5
A densely written book, I often found myself rereading sections and sentences. I admit, at the beginning I felt it was encouraging a deep level of thought but other times I thought it could be simplified with no detriment to the topic at hand, but hey I didn't write the book.
I googled the author, and all her New Yorker articles came up, and that made me say ah-ha. If you like New Yorker style writing, you'll like this (and probably vise versa).
In a world where topics like cultural appropriation are usually surrounded with the absolute most banal and idiotic "conversations" leaving you wanting to scream in your car after talking to a racist uncle, this book was an interesting take in that it did not engage in that way at. all. This shouldn't necessarily have to be called out, but in our world where short oversimplified content is the norm, this book is the complete opposite of TikTok and the like.
It's not a "how to not culturally appropriate in ten easy steps" book. This won't give you the sentence to say to make your racist uncle understand. But, it's full of deep, nuanced examples to consider and think about. She calls for nothing else if not more awareness, and the chapters provides great tools. I also agree with the other reviewer who recommend it in conjunction with the film 'American Fiction'.
Also I learned a lot of new words.
I googled the author, and all her New Yorker articles came up, and that made me say ah-ha. If you like New Yorker style writing, you'll like this (and probably vise versa).
In a world where topics like cultural appropriation are usually surrounded with the absolute most banal and idiotic "conversations" leaving you wanting to scream in your car after talking to a racist uncle, this book was an interesting take in that it did not engage in that way at. all. This shouldn't necessarily have to be called out, but in our world where short oversimplified content is the norm, this book is the complete opposite of TikTok and the like.
It's not a "how to not culturally appropriate in ten easy steps" book. This won't give you the sentence to say to make your racist uncle understand. But, it's full of deep, nuanced examples to consider and think about. She calls for nothing else if not more awareness, and the chapters provides great tools. I also agree with the other reviewer who recommend it in conjunction with the film 'American Fiction'.
Also I learned a lot of new words.
litwtchreads's review
I lost this books somehow?? I'll reread when I can find it again
_tamara8464's review against another edition
5.0
I went into reading this book with an open mind. I knew the book was going to be about race and for the most it was but it wasn't just about race. This book was very insightful and shocking. It is heavy book with lots of information and facts/examples. In this book, Ms. Jackson uses examples from the music industry, different time periods and modern day issues to prove her point. This book blew my mind. I will be purchasing this book; it is something I want to have for years to come.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that is read a little like a textbook, but that could be because it was just tons of information. I felt like I need to go and do some research.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that is read a little like a textbook, but that could be because it was just tons of information. I felt like I need to go and do some research.
lcl_reads's review
informative
fast-paced
4.0
I wanted to read this after watching American Fiction and seeing Sinatra reading it. In that context, it is very interesting to consider the context of the movie and I'd recommend watching that movie in conjunction with reading this book.
Now, back to the book itself. I appreciate that Jackson gets highly specific in her references and is very detailed. I believe that is essential on this topic as it is one where it is easy for some to minimize the significance and prevalence of cultural appropriation. I found the book to be very engaging and easy to follow and thought it was interesting how she woven seemingly unrelated topics together (which makes perfect sense when considering that cultural appropriation in the US touches literally everything).
itsolivia's review against another edition
5.0
The deal: Pulling from experience, research, and critique, Lauren Michele Jackson explores aspects of cultural appropriation ranging from white weed entrepreneurs to Nashville hot chicken to the entirety of Christina Aguilera’s career.
Is it worth it?: Absolutely. If you’ve ever read Jackson’s work in Vulture, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, etc, you more or less know what you’re in for. And with the space/word count to stretch out, she delivers. I especially love that Jackson is a master of nuance — she’s able to toe the line of fan and critic in a way that few can.
Pairs well with: Reading more work from Black cultural critics (e.g. Doreen St. Felix, Angelica Jade Bastien, Cate Young, Jenna Wortham, Jourdain Searles, and Rachel Charlene Lewis)
B+
Is it worth it?: Absolutely. If you’ve ever read Jackson’s work in Vulture, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, etc, you more or less know what you’re in for. And with the space/word count to stretch out, she delivers. I especially love that Jackson is a master of nuance — she’s able to toe the line of fan and critic in a way that few can.
Pairs well with: Reading more work from Black cultural critics (e.g. Doreen St. Felix, Angelica Jade Bastien, Cate Young, Jenna Wortham, Jourdain Searles, and Rachel Charlene Lewis)
B+
kmatthe2's review against another edition
4.0
A smart discussion of white appropriation of black culture.